Lisp 2 Python?

[Joel Lucsy]

> If you just have a few procedural routines to translate, then an
> automatic converter might be fun, but I wouldn't expect any
> wonders. Whatever you do, the resulting python code won't look
> very pythonic, and will probably be a nightmare to maintain.
> What kind of programs are you looking to convert? Or is this
> just a "nice to have" question?

My company (http://www.cadfx.com) has several products based on
AutoLisp/ARX. I'm looking into doing future programming in Python, and if
possible, convert the old AutoLisp to Python instead of going to ARX. The
Python would be easier to maintain then the C++ code, but you do have a
point that it might not be pretty if converted automattically.

> Once we are here, the more interesting thing (and precondition
> to the above for any useful applications) would be a Python
> wrapper to ADS, and ultimately ARX. Yes, the latter looks like
> gargantuan task, but some day someone will have to do it... ;)

To start off just wrap the AutoLisp specific functions that deal with
AutoCAD. Then throw in ARX wrappings.
I'm just doing this(the conversion) as a side project. I'm am doing a
project with Python, but would like to see the other programmers to use it
as well. It would be easier to have to automatically converted to see a side
by side comparison. I'd suspect it would still be rewritten once they'd get
into, but it would be a starting point.